Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item :https://hdl.handle.net/2066/121937

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Editor(s):

Hermer, L.

Subject:

110 000 Neurocognition of Language110 007 PLUS: A neurocomputational model for the Processing of Linguistic Utterances based on the Unification-Space architecture110 009 The human brain and Chinese prosody110 012 Social cognition of verbal communication110 013 Binding and the MUC-model110 014 Public activities

Here we review evidence from cognitive neuroscience for a tight relation between language and action in the brain. We focus on two types of relation between language and action. First, we investigate whether the perception of speech and speech sounds leads to activation of parts of the cortical motor system also involved in speech production. Second, we evaluate whether understanding action-related language involves the activation of parts of the motor system. We conclude that whereas there is considerable evidence that understanding language can involve parts of our motor cortex, this relation is best thought of as inherently flexible. As we explain, the exact nature of the input as well as the intention with which language is perceived influences whether and how motor cortex plays a role in language processing.